Pop UP Newton Art Walk- Fall 2015

A few pics from the Pop -Up Newton Art Walk held earlier this fall. It was a magical night and one that we hope will be repeated again and again. Stop by the AGENT C Gallery Thursdays and Saturdays 12-4 to see some wonderful art and then stroll farther north to check out the Cabinets of Curiosity. Grab a coffee and treat at Espresso Cafe while you're at it. Maybe pick up some authentic Filipino food at the tiny grocery just steps away? 

Lots to enjoy on this 2 block stretch in downtown Newton. 7300 block of 137th Street north toward 74th Avenue.

Rhiannon Paskall joined in the festivities.

Food Trucks! We had Food Trucks!

City Councillor Judy Villeneuve  spoke about the importance of Arts and revitalization

Philip Aguirre of the Newton Business Association spoke

MLA Harry Bains whose office is on the block said a few words

Happy participants having fun creating art on the sidewalk!

One of the Cabinets of Curiosity

Beautiful sculptural piece, part of the Cabinets of Curiosity

We were treated to lovely music in this little courtyard- perfect for an autumn evening

Jude Hannah- ReNewton and Councillor Judy Villeneuve  at Agent C Gallery

Agent C Gallery After Dark.....

The most important thing to remember when talking about revitalization is that the community has to support local businesses with their dollars! Bemoaning businesses closing is hypocritical if you never frequented the establishment. We're all in this together. It means so much to our local economy and the quality of life here in the downtown area. Please, as the holidays approach, spend your dollars here in the neighbourhood. Thanks!

The Community is the Expert.

A Conversation With @Fred_Kent of @PPS_Placemaking http://t.co/aJGVEv0Yfw via @JLGoodenough #Placemaking #PublicSpace pic.twitter.com/ka7hM9AdeH

— Future of Places (@FutureofPlaces) April 29, 2015

Stop by Starbucks Newton 11-3 today. Help Stamp Out Cancer!

 Happy Saturday Everyone!

 Please stop by the Starbucks near the Organic Grocer in Newton today between 11-3 . Say hi, and help kick cancer in the ass. Donate to the Canadian Cancer Society. Two cute young girls will be there and then one old woman this afternoon ( that's me :D) Help Rhiannon Paskall and her friend raise a record amount today !

New Year, New Newton ?

Downtown Newton Business Improvement Association and ReNewton

 in The Now Newspaper January 15 edition.

Read here

 May this be the year that Newton rises up and shines!

ReNewton's Best of #PLACEmaking video hitlist

A  video collection of the Best of placemaking, urban planning  and how we retrofit suburbia, an idea whose time has come.
Enjoy! A wealth of knowledge and experience right here.

Just a taste...

In summer mode but will be working on a post about how multi suite homes have changed the quality of life in many areas of Surrey. Here's a  quick sneak peek.

We need proactive bylaw officers out there doing their jobs and we need more of them.
 The public shouldn't have to be responsible for calling in every bylaw infraction.
Our tax dollars should be paying for this.

Pianos On the Streets comes to Newton!

 The Grove in Newton has a piano for everyone to enjoy. It will be in place until September 10. 

Tonight at 6 o'clock join Friends of The Grove, as we make beautiful music together with Make Music Vancouver and the Piano Teachers Federation.

 The piano has only been onsite for a few hours and already it's a big hit. Just wait until you see it painted next week!

 We hope everyone will take pride and ownership of the ''People's Piano". 

It's yours, play it.

Update: Last night's Launch Party was a  resounding (pun intended) success! Will post full report later this week with some wonderful heartwarming photos.  Thank you to those who came out to play and those who made up our audience. The event was originally planned for 6-7:30  but at 9 we were still making music. A very special evening in the heart of the city.

Placemaking Guru Fred Kent. What Does it Take to Create Great Public Spaces?

 Fred Kent is the founder of Project for Public Spaces. If you've ever walked through Bryant Park in Manhattan you've experienced his work.
 Here's a video lecture in which Fred discusses placemaking and the art of creating public spaces that people love.
 Enjoy.

Surrey Public Market Saga.....

As most of you are aware, the former public market building at King George Blvd. and 64th Avenue has been vacant for over 16 years. In the past 3 years there have been 4 owners. The original owner Walter Chan owner of Smitty's Restaurants sold it to developers Manuel and Daisy Da Silva in 2012  who then sold it to Vancouver developer Mark Chandler's company Newmark in the fall of 2013. Now  the property has been passed  on to Raj Nijjar with Opera Homes. My source  has informed me that Chandler et al defaulted on payment and  the property is now in the hands of Raj Nijjar's company.

 I had a friendly chat with  Mr. Nijjar the other day and it appears that we can't look forward to  any development on this corner in the foreseeable future. 

And now with the entire area fenced off, no one can take a stroll along the creek banks or stop and enjoy the shade of the small grove of trees .

 Now then....... Let's take a step back to October of 2011.

 ReNewton started with one goal in mind at that time. That was to encourage and lobby the City of Surrey to purchase this strategic corner property and turn it into something for the community. 

There is huge potential here.   

Imagine a park, an amphitheatre, room for a farmers market,  expanded arts, culture and recreation facilities. 

In its current state the building is an eyesore.   For 16 years we've gazed upon this sad sight and so have the 70,000 drivers who pass through the intersection of 64th Ave & King George Highway every day.   Reputation-wise, this place is not doing Surrey any favours.  Look inside and you can still see vestiges of its former glory. This, the second incarnation of the public market fell victim to  the unusual business practices of the original owner.  Back in the 80s, there was a  wonderful public market in an old roller rink on the same corner. We loved it.  That first market was always busy, and no wonder!  Two fresh fish vendors, a bakery, a few veggie vendors, a meat shop and the best Japanese take out in town run by the cutest older couple. Then the  owner decided to build the "new' structure and raised the rents sky high. The vendors simply couldn't pay the exorbitant  rates and in the late 90s the place shut its doors.

This is what the place looks like today. And that's such a crying shame.
The creek is beautiful.
The trees are spectacular.
And  none of it can be used by the residents of this neighbourhood.
 Sure would be nice for the city of Surrey, or some philanthropic community minded person or group to make an offer on this place and  develop something for the people who live in the heart and soul of Surrey.
 Just sayin'.

Upate December 23, 2014.
We're heading into year 17. The very least that can be done is to enforce the city of Surrey's unsightly property bylaw and tear down these walls. The people who live, work, pay taxes and raise their families here deserve to have this place removed.  To let it stand one more day is simply wrong.

16 years,
70,000 drivers per day drive by this.
 And we wonder why Surrey can't shake its backward image?

What's in a Name? Meet Me in Midtown.

 Over the past few weeks some of us have been brainstorming around creative ways to revitalize our downtown Newton  centre. As one person so eloquently put it, 'the neighbourhood has some scars, but we're resilient and the will to see positive things happen here has never been greater". So, it got us thinking about the name Newton.  Has the time come to rebrand the Newton Town Centre , (whose boundaries are now set with the newly formed  Newton BIA ) in much the  same way  Downtown Whalley has been renamed City Centre? We think there's a very strong case to do so. Like Whalley,to some people the name Newton doesn't conjure feelings of excitement and respect and it's not doing our  business community any favours.  

Since Newton is the geographic centre i.e. middle of the city of Surrey why not call it that?

Midtown. 

Anyone who has spent time in Manhattan has no doubt wandered the busy Midtown area. It's vibrant but retains its grittiness, keeping it real and authentic. 

 I've maintained that Newton can take that same feel and make its edginess  work to  advantage.

So let's talk about 137th St, also known as Festival Street in the City of Surrey's plans for the town centre. 

Newton Town Centre Plans for Festival Street  (137th St.) during an event.
City of Surrey
 Everyone's asking....When will the plans be implemented?

The  commercial space above is perfect for an artsy edgy gallery/live space

Business owners and the community  all agree- the Pay Parking HAS to go!
*Update Oct. , thanks to  efforts of Cllr. Judy Villeneuve, we now have 2 hr. free parking :)

Festival Street-  Plans for Everyday Use, but when will the city get moving and make this happen? 

There are many office and retail spaces currently for lease in the vicinity.
Let's fill them with creativity and connection.

How awesome would it be to create a  unique to Surrey  funky art, music &  cafe scene here?    You know what I'm talking about.  Old or at least old-looking brick walls, great coffee, and a place to meet up with friends. 

Your ' third place" 

What about a global crafts marketplace in these vacant spaces?   Think: studios, coffee houses, music venues. Somewhere our young Surrey musicians and creative types can get together and showcase their talents?

  

 And let's not forget   about  FOOD!

  

As Retrofitting Suburbia author Ellen Dunham-Jones says

"Never Underestimate the Power of Food to Turn a Place around and make it a destination"

  Here's what one city is doing   Midtown Global Market

 So, think about the many possibilities for the  Newton Town Centre.
We have so much untapped potential in this area. Let's take the vision and make it happen. We have many strengths  and a growing  number of  citizens taking charge of their own community. 
Are you going to be one of them?

   Still reading?
 Leave your comments or if you prefer, send me a message.
 hey-jude@telus.net

From Crisis to Opportunity.....

Update: 
The person accused of murder in the Julie Paskall case makes another court appearance tomorrow. I will be there as I have been the last 3 times.(Our judicial system moves at a snail's pace.)

In many ways I feel as though I failed Julie. I didn't speak loudly enough, I wasn't persistent enough in drawing attention to the changes that we've seen in our neighbourhood over the years.  For me, this is as personal as it can get without ever having known Julie Paskall.

 Here's the original post from May 24.

Yesterday's announcement of an arrest in the Julie Paskall murder case took me by surprise. I was thrilled that police had a suspect in custody. My initial excitement was immediately followed by tears and emotion. Relief tempered by sadness over the senselessness of it all.
   To say Julie Paskall's vicious beating and subsequent death rattled  our community would be a gross understatement. Back in January there were demands for more police, more mental health services, a tightening of regulations on recovery homes that are often just flop houses and a call for the city to take meaningful action on its  plans for revitalization of the Newton Town Centre, the area where the attack on  Julie occurred.   There is definitely room for improvement on all fronts but we also need to change a system that allows chronic offenders to be back on the streets time after time ( sources say the suspect is known to police).

 However, amid all the sadness, frustration and acrimony of this dark time, a little ray of sunlight began to emerge in the Newton community. We realized we are just that.  A community. 
    
We came together and realized we weren't going to allow some punk's violent act define us. We are so much more than that. Like many parts of Surrey, Newton is a neighbourhood undergoing changes. We are on the brink of creating a new and vibrant downtown core. When you walk along 137th St between  Starbucks and the Wave Pool , past the Espresso Cafe and the ethnic grocery shops, you can see that this street and surrounding area has really good "bones".

Great things are going to happen here in the next few years. In fact if you frequent the places around the recreation centre and bus loop you may have noticed  neighbours getting together and creating happy, surprising and whimsical displays  of hope, resilience and most of all fun! The Friends of the Grove  lead by Newton resident David Dalley  held an event in May that attracted hundreds. The message? People can complain and bitch all day long, but what truly creates change is doing something positive and uplifting.
Watch Video of the event here.

Strangers of all ages becoming friends at The Grove.

So this afternoon when police hold their press conference  giving us more information on the suspect and hopefully  announce murder charges let's take a moment, remember Julie and her family and thank the police who are doing the best job they possibly can.
Then let's decide that the very best way to honour Julie Paskall and all other victims of crime is to become better neighbours.  That's the message  Julie's husband Al so eloquently conveyed at her memorial in January. Whether that's at home or out on the street. Let's talk to one another. Smile.  Ask the person behind you in a grocery store line up how their day is going. It's so simple.

 Newton, you have scars, but they are healing.  

We've undergone the crisis, now comes the opportunity.

So Very True

What this place could look like.... Newton Now

For those who asked for more information regarding the Newton Town Centre Plans.
 Below is the link to the official document, and a few images of what this place could look like when the plans are implemented. 

 Newton residents from all neighbourhoods, including Panorama Ridge, Sullivan Heights and Panorama Village have been patiently waiting for the Town Centre to be developed. Now we see others parts of Surrey are being invited to open houses to showcase plans for their neighbourhoods. 
Newton residents, 140,000 strong are asking what about us? 

 Over the last few years the city of Surrey has maintained  that "Newton was Next".  
Expanded recreation, arts and culture facilities are needed in Surrey's fastest growing area. The families here deserve to have  the same calibre of amenities as other parts of this city. The business sector has done its part to step up and will continue to do so with the newly formed BIA. Now it's the city's time to make good on its commitment to create a liveable vibrant town centre in the heart of Surrey. 

 Newton Next? Let's make it Newton Now.

Newton Town Centre Plans - Check it Out

Surrey's population can handle several farmers markets throughout the city.

We're a multicultural city- Let's embrace that!

Public Spaces create Safe Places 

International Village for Newton /  Midtown Market?

Festival Street on 137th?

Public Markets are one of the things that makes a city great

We have lots of little ethnic specialty shops in Newton. Greco's is just one!

Midtown Music Night ?

Official City of Surrey plan for 137th St ( Festival Street)

Newton businesses &  BIA is asking for pay parking to be removed on 137th St. Here's why.

Great things can happen when we work together for the good of our city and its citizens.Newton Town Centre Plans - Check it Out